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You know, I think it just might take an angry-yet-intelligently-thoughtful-and-realistic post from Ben Weasel to finally get me off my I’ve-given-up-on-caring-about-the-disaster-occurring-in-the-music-world kick.
And, hot damn, I’m in luck. Ben reminds us little guys that we actually have a say in this, too.
An excerpt:
The music industry is still evolving (or mutating, if you prefer) but one thing that isn’t changing – and that never will change – is that the little guy (those of us who have nothing to do with, and are of no interest whatsoever to the RIAA) is still getting the short end of the stick…
…what I want to know, again, is who\’s going to be paying for the recording of all this free music dreamed up by small-timers (which description, if you’re not aware, covers most of us)? And if the answer is “nobody,” that means that music made by people who are even a little bit outside the mainstream, off the beaten path, or just plain fucking weird, is going to disappear (save, of course, for those with disposable cash – the hobbyists and the rich kids – but those people tend to make music that people can’t even be bothered to download for free). Long term, this isn’t going to work out well for music fans. I’m not scolding. I’m not trying to stuff the genie back in the bottle. I just want the emperor’s distinct lack of clothing noted: the alleged death of the music industry is in actuality the death of interesting music.
And… I love this part, too:
I said the same thing six years ago when I first wrote about this stuff. And what’s happened since? Music has become more boring than ever, that\’s what. Even punk rock has become more mind-numbingly mediocre than I ever remember it being before… I haven’t seen so many bands playing it safe and copying what’s popular since the skulls and anarchy-symbol craze of 1984. If I hear another band aping the Dillinger Four and shouting their Cookie Monster vocals at me through their hobo beards I may begin to sob.
Seriously, one day it’ll be clear to everyone: those beards are not helping a thing.
Posted by Matt Riggle @ 10:51 am
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